A vigil is to be held in Limerick city this afternoon for two brothers who drowned while fishing off rocks near Doonbeg in west Clare yesterday.
They have been named locally as brothers, Tajuddin Safi, aged in his 30s, and Salahuddin Safi, who was in his 20s.
Both men were members of the Afghan community in Limerick, where they had lived and worked for the past decade.
Salahuddin had recently married in Afghanistan, where his wife remains.
They had travelled to Clare with relatives to go fishing - a popular pastime within the Afghan community - when the tragedy occurred.
The CEO of Doras, a Limerick-based migrant support group, said he knew the family and offered his "heartfelt condolences" to them.
Speaking on RTÉ News at One, John Lannon said the charity knew one of the brothers "probably for the last eight or nine years, since he first came to Ireland, as quite a young man".
Mr Lannon said he had been using the charity's services and "engaging with staff".
"Such a wonderful, friendly, outgoing man, who we loved engaging with," he said.
He said Doras was available to support the family or the wider Afghan community "who are also of course grieving at this time".
He said Tajuddin and Salahuddin were well integrated into the community in Limerick, which he described as a diverse, open and welcoming community.
Mr Lannon said Limerick's Afghan community is "very vibrant" and that the Safi brothers "presented what's so great about migration and about integration and about the manner in which people who come from other parts of the world make a new life for themselves here in our country".
The tragedy unfolded as five men were angling off rocks near to an area known locally as the Blue Pool at Pulleen Bay when the two brothers were swept out to sea.
The emergency services were contacted by the family members on shore when the incident occurred shortly after 2pm.
A search operation was launched from Valentia involving the Shannon Coastguard helicopter, units from Kilkee and Doolin coastguard and the Aran Island lifeboat.
At around 4pm, crew from the Shannon Coastguard helicopter located two bodies within the search area and the lifeboat recovered them from the sea.
Sea conditions were reported to be very rough at the time.
The waters along the coastline in Clare are popular with anglers, but Blue Pool is known locally for sudden and unexpected swells. There have been several drownings in the area in the past.
"I can't explain how sad it is ... this is heartbreaking" - Cllr Abul Kalam Azad Talukder
Fianna Fáil Councillor Abul Kalam Azad Talukder also knew the Safi brothers "very well" and said the immigrant and wider Irish community will support their families at this time.
He described the drownings as a "deeply tragic incident" and said his thoughts and prayers were with their family and friends and Limerick's Afghan community.
He said the two were "hardworking" in the taxi and restaurant businesses in Limerick "full-time," and that they had enjoyed angling in their downtime, which he said was a traditional pastime for many Afghans.
He said their mother happens to be in Ireland currently and that one of the brothers had got married "a few months ago". His wife, who is still in Afghanistan, had been set to join him in Ireland "in a few months time."
"I can't explain how sad it is ... this is heartbreaking."
Cllr Azad urged Clare County Council to erect more signage in the area to make people aware of the dangers and said it is important that the local authority "identify all the dangerous places so we do not lose anyone again".
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Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, Councillor Rita McInerney from Doonbeg, said the area where the group was fishing from is well known.
However, she said it can be dangerous and that given the conditions of the last couple of weeks, the seas have been very rough and the area is known for rogue waves.
She said it is a popular cliff fishing spot, which is accessed through private land.
Ms McInerney said the local council has to look at providing more information and safety measures regarding dangerous conditions when they occur.
The Divisional Controller for the Valentia Marine Rescue Coordination Centre said the sea conditions were treacherous and challenging yesterday, when the centre received a call to assist in the search for the two men.
Speaking on the same programme, John Draper said warnings and signage are essential to prevent these types of tragedies from occurring.
